10 Shocking Statistics about Children and Divorce

I’ve compiled these statistics about children and divorce for the I’ll believe it when I see it type of people who don’t accept anything as true unless it’s from a credible source or it’s been PROVEN in a convincing study.

If you are NOT one of these people, you need to read this anyway.

These days most people accept divorce as a way of life, completely unaware of the damage they are doing to their children. Tell your friends, acquaintances and co-workers to read these shocking statistics about divorce and children. It may help save a child’s life down the road. (And no, I’m not figuratively speaking either.just keep reading to find out what I mean.)

The Rising Statistics of Divorce and Children

1. Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of these, close to half will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage.

(Furstenberg, Peterson, Nord, and Zill, Life Course)

2. Among the millions of children who have seen their parents divorce, one of every 10 will also live through three or more parental marriage breakups.

(The Abolition of Marriage, Gallagher)

3. Forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. (Wade, Horn and Busy, Fathers, Marriage and Welfare Reform Hudson Institute Executive Briefing, 1997)

4. Of all children born to married parents this year, fifty percent will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach their 18th birthday.

(Fagan, Fitzgerald, Rector, The Effects of Divorce On America)

The EMOTIONALLY Damaging Effect – Statistics of divorce and children

5. Studies in the early 1980’s showed that children in repeat divorces earned lower grades and their peers rated them as less pleasant to be around.

These statistics about children and divorce are pretty shockingaren’t they? The DEATH of a parent is LESS devastating to a child than a DIVORCE. (Even I wouldn’t believe this if I didn’t see the statistic myself.)

The PHYSICALLY Damaging Effects – Statistics of divorce and children

8. Children of divorce are at a greater risk to experience injury, asthma, headaches and speech defects than children whose parents have remained married.

(Dawson, Family Structure and Children’s Health and Well Being National Health Interview Survey on Child Health, Journal of Marriage and the Family)

9. Following divorce, children are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems than two parent families.

(Angel, Worobey, Single Motherhood and Children’s Health)

10. Children living with both biological parents are 20 to 35 percent more physically healthy than children from broken homes.

(Dawson, Family Structure and Children’s Health and Well-being Journal of Marriage and the Family)

I can’t stress how important it is to know all the facts before you get a divorce. Your child’s life is in your hands. If you’re seriously considering divorce and you haven’t attempted to save your marriage, I’ve just given you 18 reasons why it’s at least worth a try to keep your family together.